


turnabout, and all that

by andorgyny



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-21
Updated: 2014-04-21
Packaged: 2018-01-20 08:08:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1503101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andorgyny/pseuds/andorgyny
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just days after pre-revolutionary France and white horses, Rose receives a marriage proposal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	turnabout, and all that

Just days after pre-revolutionary France and white horses, Rose receives a marriage proposal. That she doesn’t immediately decline it strikes fear into the Doctor’s hearts, and he wonders how they got to this place of distance and cool eyes and lonely hands. 

It doesn’t take him long to figure it out.

Mickey wants to see something magnificent, and so off to Giza they go. The pyramids are pretty spectacular, even if the three travelers stick out like a sore thumb. 

"Act like you own the place," the Doctor tells his companions, even when they are being escorted to see the vizier. "No one will be able to tell you don’t."

Rose snorts, glancing down at her shackles pointedly. “Oh yeah, we’ll definitely be mistaken for the Pharaoh and his posse.”

 

The vizier is none other than Imhotep—

"—Oh yes! Chancellor to the Pharaoh… who is it? Djoser. King Djoser, of the Third Dynasty," the Doctor says. "Rose, Mickey: you’re looking at the very first architect, engineer and physician in human history! Quite a man, he was… well, better not say in present company."

"Are you quite finished?" the vizier says, raising a brow. "This man has quite the mouth on him." Rose giggled, and he turns to look at her. "And you, woman. Your complexion is most… unusual. Like his," he adds, pointing vaguely at the Doctor. "But nicer, somehow." 

She blushes. “Thank you, sir.”

"And this is your servant?" he asks, looking expectantly of Mickey.

"He’s our friend."

The vizier stands over his table, covered in papyrus scrolls, and studies her carefully for a long moment. “You are not married,” he finally says.

"Nope," she replies. "Happily single." Mickey rolls his eyes. 

"You are a curious woman."

"Do you mind calling your men off us, sir?" the Doctor asks, beginning to feel left out. "It’s just, these shackles are awfully heavy, and Mickey doesn’t work out much."

"Oi!"

 

He hears Rose laughing from behind the wall and curls his fingers into a fist. The vizier has decided to entertain the lone woman in their group while leaving Mickey and the Doctor to themselves in the palace. Normally, that would be pretty cool, but normally Rose would be sneaking around with him, her hand safely wrapped in his.

Instead, he’s got Mickey who isn’t really all that bad, but he finds it hard to enjoy himself anyway.

"Now you’re gonna see how it felt last week," Mickey says, grinning smugly.

"What are you blabbering on about now?"

Mickey raises a brow. “Being left behind while the person you love is flirting with someone else. Sucks, doesn’t it?”

The Doctor blushes. “I… don’t know what you’re talking about.”

"Bollocks," the younger man says. "And that’s alright, I guess. Or at least Rose thinks it’s alright, that you’re so fickle and unaware, but eventually someone is gonna pay attention to her and it’s gonna make a difference."

He makes a show of studying one of the many beautiful artifacts in the sitting room and absolutely does not think of how lovely Rose looks in her white tunic.

 

"He proposed."

The Doctor looks at her for a moment, smile frozen on his face. “What? Why?”

"You heard me, arse. Don’t act so surprised."

"Well, how did he take it?"

She frowns. “How did he take what?”

"Being let down, of course!"

"I didn’t say no," she says quietly.

Mickey looks over at her in surprise. “What do you mean you didn’t say no?” the Doctor asks through clenched teeth.

"I didn’t say yes, either!"

"Well we’re leaving tomorrow anyway, there’s no reason to keep him waiting!" he replies, pushing her forcibly to the door. "You go tell the guard outside the door that you need to speak with him, and then you tell him that you’re sorry you weren’t clear but you aren’t going to marry him."

She laughs, a bitter thing. “Says who?”

"Says me!"

"I said I’d tell him in the morning," she shouts. "It seemed cruel to just say no so quickly!"

"It’s crueler to keep him waiting when you already know your answer!"

Rose runs a hand through her hair in frustration. “And how do you know I already had my answer?”

"Because," the Doctor seethes. "You live on the TARDIS, and we don’t bring along stray consorts!"

"Oh, that’s rich! I thought you wanted Madame de Pompadour along for the ride!"

He pauses for a moment, confused. “What does she have to do with anything?” Rose looks at him like he’s dribbled down his shirt.

"You were gonna bring her along."

"Yeah, I bring along a lot of people." He furrows his brow. "I do not see your point, Rose."

Mickey laughs. “Boss, mate. You’re telling Rose she can’t bring a lover along when you wanted to do just that. Or at least, that’s what Rose is saying.”

The Doctor licks his lips. “Er. Reinette wasn’t my lover or consort or anything. She was a brilliant friend who deserved a little reward.”

Rose smiled, relief hiding in her eyes. ”And I like Imhotep, so I didn’t want to hurt him or threaten our stay here in this palatial suite by dismissing his proposal out of hand.”

"Oh."


End file.
